kennedy by using it to pass the civil rights act of 1964 and used the assassination of martin luther king to pass the civil rights act of 1968 better known as the fair housing act. >> so it seems like today, if you're looking at the assassination of bobby kennedy as being a tipping point for lbj, it seems like we have something similar on an emotional level here in the u.s. with regard to newtown and what's happened there. so if president obama wanted to take a lesson from 1968, what do you think he could learn from how lbj got the votes for the bill? >> well, again, lbj used the emotional tipping point, as you suggested, alex, to get this through. one of the things he did very effectively is he worked with great speed, with great swiftness in order to get things done. before the mood of the country turned to something else. it's interesting. if you look at 1968, mrs. johnson, lady bird johnson, wrote in her diary, there are so many people across this country who are asking what is happening to us. president johnson felt that as well, and that's when he moved on gun control. and i th